Fry, Dennis applaud rules process

A series of votes taken at a meeting of the Sporting Working Group (SWG) on Wednesday are understood to have registered that a majority of teams are unhappy at a number of proposals put forward by the FIA.

Although that means that further work will be needed to frame the regulations before the June 30 deadline, the fact that a simple majority will carry the SWG decisions has been welcomed by both Fry and Dennis.

Fry said: "It was the first meeting of the SWG established by the FIA and the process put in place is one we applaud.

"It is democratic and based on majority voting - and the people at the meeting were people with huge credibility and people who have spent a lot of time in F1 - people like Stefano Domenicali, Dave Ryan, Ron Meadows and Steve Nielsen.

"They know about F1 and one of the thing that was encouraging was that they voted with conviction. Every vote was carried by a majority of eight or nine out of 12 - it was encouraging that three-quarters of the field agreed.

"Were the votes all that Honda liked? No they were not. Some we liked and some we did not like at all, but the process is right and if that majority vote in favour or against something then we will go along with it."

Dennis added: "F1 owes me nothing, I owe F1 everything. I try to play a role that some people label as controversial or aggressive, but my role is primarily driven by a desire to see F1 better or grow or improve.

"When you look at the process that unfolded last Wednesday, I was encouraged by the fact that it was a democratic process and all the people who went there worked hard.

"If that is the way we build the future, by a democratic process of evaluating all the options that unfold, then we will have a very good F1. But it has to be democratic through the whole process and that is what I hope will happen."

He added:  "I share the view that there seems to be some uncertainty about how it will unfurl. Hopefully if it is a recommendation of the experts then it should be seen as that - and expert opinion should be followed."